Updated September 2026: in 2023 I argued that Microsoft left the mobile operating system market too early, leaving iOS and Android in control. I have rewritten it with a clearer history of Windows phones and what Microsoft did instead.
Microsoft entered mobile early with Windows Mobile in the 2000s, well before the iPhone. It struggled to keep up once touchscreen smartphones took over, and eventually withdrew. Looking at the market Apple and Google now control, it can feel like a missed opportunity.
What happened to Windows phones?
After the iPhone and Android arrived, Microsoft replaced Windows Mobile with a new platform, Windows Phone, in 2010. It had a distinctive tile-based design that many users liked. In 2014 Microsoft bought Nokia's phone business to strengthen its hardware. Windows Phone and its successor, Windows 10 Mobile, never gained enough users or apps, and Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 Mobile in 2019 and 2020.
Why did it fail?
- Arriving late to the touchscreen era, when iOS and Android had momentum.
- Too few apps, because developers focused on the larger platforms.
- Too few users, because of the missing apps: a loop that is hard to break.
- Several platform resets that made older phones and apps obsolete.
Was leaving a mistake?
It depends on what Microsoft wanted. Staying would have cost billions with no guarantee of catching up. Instead, Microsoft put its apps, such as Outlook, Office, Teams and OneDrive, on iPhone and Android. That made it a major presence on phones without owning the platform, and its business has grown strongly since.
Does the market need a third mobile platform?
Competition is healthy, and regulators in Europe and elsewhere have pushed Apple and Google to open their app stores. But a new platform still faces the same app problem that stopped Windows Phone. For now, competition is more likely to come through rules than through a third operating system.
Could Microsoft return to phones?
It has tried hardware again through the Surface Duo, an Android-based dual-screen device, which it later stopped updating. Its current strategy is to make Windows PCs and Android phones work together through the Phone Link app rather than to build a phone platform of its own.
What was good about Windows Phone?
Its Live Tiles showed information at a glance long before widgets became common on iPhone, and its clean design influenced later interfaces. Some ideas outlived the platform.